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00:00What makes a building a home?
00:02Oh my goodness.
00:03That's a WOW in all caps.
00:05I'm Vern Yep.
00:06Hi.
00:07It's so nice to meet you.
00:08And I'm traveling across the country following the people
00:11who are stretching the definition of home to its limits.
00:14We need your help.
00:15We need your advice.
00:15From abandoned churches and schools
00:17to defunct firehouses and factories,
00:20brave builders are giving these architectural relics
00:23a new life by turning them into one-of-a-kind family homes.
00:27It's never easy, but you don't get this kind of character
00:31with a house that you can just go buy.
00:32Oh my gosh.
00:34Can they make their larger-than-average dreams a reality?
00:38As a designer myself, I'm eager to learn and help them.
00:41This is the one.
00:42I think it pulls in all the colors.
00:44As they turn these unconventional spaces
00:47into their forever homes.
00:50This is Home Reimagined.
00:57High Falls, New York.
01:03It's one of those small Hudson Valley towns
01:05that kind of sneaks up on you.
01:09It's peaceful and quiet out here,
01:10and honestly, that's part of the appeal.
01:14And for Tim and Abby,
01:15that's exactly what they were looking for.
01:19But it's a ton of work to turn this structure into a home.
01:22They started months ago, but I showed up just in time
01:25to see how things are going
01:27and what kind of magic they're planning to bring to this place.
01:32Here he is.
01:33Yes.
01:34Hi there.
01:35Hey.
01:36Welcome to the barn.
01:38Pulling up to the barn,
01:39it has such incredible presence.
01:41It's 5,000 square feet, built in 1897.
01:45Tim and Abby purchased it for $500,000,
01:47and they're converting it into a five-bed,
01:49three-and-a-half bath home.
01:50We just had to find a place
01:52to get away to from Manhattan.
01:54We both recently retired.
01:56Our daughters are grown.
01:57One is in Washington, D.C., one's in New York City.
01:59So we wanted something on this part of the country
02:01that was going to be large enough
02:02that we could bring everybody together.
02:04I'm Abby.
02:05And I'm Tim.
02:06So Tim and I are not normal people.
02:09The one thing we knew is that we wanted something
02:11that was in a pretty bad state of repair,
02:13and the barn really fit that bill
02:15because we could come in and make it what we wanted.
02:17We knew we could make this into a great house.
02:20We actually already have plans for this coming Christmas
02:22where we're going to have both of our daughters
02:24and their partners and their partners' families.
02:26Hopefully it's going to be finished on time.
02:28So what is the history of this barn?
02:31The original barn burned down in 1897,
02:34almost to the ground, rebuilt it,
02:36but this has been standing since 1897.
02:39It was being used as a wedding venue when we walked into it.
02:43Oh.
02:44I mean, it looks like it's in incredible condition.
02:47We had to pull the entire roof off,
02:50and that's a brand-new roof.
02:52We had to take all the original siding off.
02:55We're going to use it all to flip it around
02:58for the interior trim.
03:00The only thing that's not new is the barn doors.
03:02Those are original.
03:03Those are epic.
03:05We want people to feel like they're walking into a barn
03:08that's been here for 100-plus years.
03:10I want to know what this is all about.
03:12This is our big dig, Vern.
03:14What we're currently doing here
03:15is excavating the front of the property
03:18because before this, when it rained heavy,
03:22all the rain poured through this rock pretty easily,
03:25so we got a lot of water in the basement.
03:27Horses didn't mind that, but we will.
03:30People, not so much.
03:31So this is the original bluestone foundation, right?
03:36It is.
03:37So right now, this has to be all cleared out,
03:40and then we're going to do two layers of spray tar,
03:43and then French drains.
03:44That will keep all the water out for the future.
03:46So can we go in?
03:47Absolutely. Let's go.
03:48Let's go.
03:49Let's go.
03:50Wow, this is exciting.
03:51Oh, these doors are going to part.
03:53Oh, wow.
03:54Look how easy that flies.
03:55Easy, right?
03:56That's incredible.
03:57Yeah.
03:58Go ahead.
03:59I feel so important.
04:00Oh.
04:01Oh, my goodness.
04:03I am so happy to see how much of this you have preserved.
04:09The incredible volume, these beams, these posts,
04:14all these trusses, all these elements.
04:17That's what separates a barn structure
04:19from a residential structure.
04:21I mean, this is the original stuff, right?
04:23Yes.
04:24That's the part that dates back to 1897.
04:27All of the new beams, you know, are really there just to support the loss.
04:32I love that.
04:33And the floors!
04:34These are original plank floors.
04:36These are two inches thick.
04:38I just love the way they undulate, and they're rough, and they've got the original nails.
04:44We're keeping all of these.
04:45They run through the entire first floor.
04:47It's so crazy to think that over a century ago, these were being dinged up by animals and farm equipment.
04:52They are incredible.
04:54Are you going to do anything to them?
04:56We're only going to sand them a little bit, just to get a little bit of the rough edges off them,
05:02so when you walk on here, either in socks or barefoot, you don't pull a splinter up.
05:07I love that.
05:08That's fantastic.
05:09And are you going to be staining them at all?
05:11We're going to put a light stain on them, and that's it.
05:14As we're looking at this big, huge, grand space, which I love, what is actually happening in here?
05:19So when you walk in from the main door, you're in the large atrium space, which floods you right into the dining room.
05:27On the left-hand side is the kitchen and the pantry, along with the wine room and the powder room.
05:34On the right-hand side, you've got the family room and the library.
05:39Then when you go upstairs and you cross the catwalk, you're going to be right in our beautiful primary bedroom.
05:47Okay, so first off, love a fireplace. How is it going to be clad?
05:52Well, right now, the cladding is going to be wood around it with corrugated metal on top and the same on the right-hand side.
06:01So what do you think?
06:03I love the idea, potentially, of expanding the use of the blue stone, which is the part of your entire foundation,
06:10up onto this fireplace.
06:12What do you think?
06:13I think it's something we should consider.
06:15You know, I love juxtaposing materials, but I think that they have to service what's there.
06:20And the corrugated metal, I think, feels really new, feels really lightweight, feels insubstantial,
06:26compared to all the wonderful, heavy-hewn materials that are part of this barn.
06:31Okay, I would love to see the rest of the space. Can we head into the kitchen?
06:35Yeah.
06:37So you'll come into the kitchen, then there's going to be an apothecary island that sits in the middle with a great wooden top,
06:46and then we start cabinetry here, and it works all the way around, past the windows.
06:52Below the windows are going to be a three-trough cement sink from the 1800s.
06:59It's huge, it's monstrously heavy, and it's going to be a great feature.
07:03I think it was a horse trough originally.
07:05Wow, okay.
07:06One of the things that I would think about is making sure that you give those great vines room to breathe,
07:12because you want the beauty of those elements to be visually appreciated,
07:16and that means not over-complicating things and putting too much detail in their direct path.
07:21Okay.
07:22Something to think about.
07:23Yep, you're absolutely right.
07:24We're super excited that we're able to work with Vern because he's been able to help push us and push our vision,
07:31giving us different things to think about, and that's really helpful and important when you're doing a project of this scope.
07:36Oh.
07:37Well, look at that shower.
07:38Epic.
07:39The shower to end all showers.
07:41The double sink will be over there against that wall.
07:44Clawfoot tub that's going to be right under the window, and then the commode will be right there.
07:49Walking upstairs where Abby and Tim's primary bedroom and primary bathroom are was incredible.
07:56You go across the catwalk and just get to overlook into that double height space, and it's tremendous.
08:02They could have extended that entire second floor over the first floor, and you still would have had decent height ceilings,
08:08but they're making sacrifices in order to keep the barn characteristic intact.
08:13Oh, my gosh.
08:14The walls.
08:15We just passed the bluestone walls.
08:18That's incredible.
08:19The blue rock wall.
08:20This is the other side of what you're waterproofing, right?
08:23Correct.
08:24On the exterior, and that does look significantly rougher.
08:26Correct.
08:27It is such a great feature, and I am so happy that you guys took the pains to keep it exposed and to get it into the right shape.
08:34But, you know, for me, this is the part that makes my heart sing, this entire wall of glass affording us this incredible unparalleled view.
08:45Want to go?
08:46I do want to go.
08:47All right, let's go.
08:49Stepping into their backyard, it is a showstopper.
08:52There's a creek.
08:53There's a bridge.
08:54There's trails.
08:55There's all kinds of natural beauty.
08:57I mean, it really does seem like an outdoor paradise.
09:01What is the plan?
09:03Well, if you come off these two French doors, come down four steps, and you're going to drop right onto a 1,200-square-foot patio.
09:12You're going to have a pretty large hot tub, a grill in that corner, and then you're going to have steps off the patio in the back that lead to a fire pit, and everything will be lit up.
09:24Okay.
09:25All right, well, it makes sense.
09:26You've really thought about it.
09:27Yeah.
09:28So, did I get you right that you take four steps down?
09:31Yeah, because we're going to have to grade down a bit so that when you get to the very bottom and you go out 1,200 feet, it's all completely flat.
09:39But just sort of offering another option, which is if you just take one step down from the French doors, you know, because the more elevated you are, the more kind of dramatic this feels.
09:51And then to have steps then at the edge go down to the fire pit.
09:56Either way, I mean, it's a great plan and I'm so glad that you have all this beautiful exterior space to enjoy.
10:02It's going to be great.
10:03We're looking forward to it.
10:04Is there anything I can help you with?
10:05We actually have a project on staining some planks.
10:08Good.
10:09Okay.
10:10Let's go.
10:11Let's do it.
10:12So, as I told you outside when we took all the planking off the building, we were going to use the reverse side to cover all the walls inside the barn.
10:25Knock, knock.
10:26Hello.
10:27Couldn't be happier.
10:28Hi, Gary.
10:29Gary, this is Vern.
10:30Vern, Gary.
10:31Nice to meet you, Gary.
10:32Gary is our design architect and he is responsible for really almost everything you're looking at.
10:38We had a beautiful structure to start with so we're just hopefully going to embellish it in the interiors.
10:43Lovely.
10:44We are just taking Vern through our sample wall.
10:48Love it.
10:49Yeah.
10:50The problem is we don't have enough of this to do all of the barn.
10:53We think we've got enough to do everything your eye will hit when you walk into the main atrium.
10:59Yep.
11:00So that's going to be on the first floor.
11:02We're going to have to buy new planks for all of the basement and the bedrooms on the lofts and stain them to some type of replicated look for this.
11:14To me, this is gorgeous.
11:16I totally understand why you would want this look.
11:19Replicating this is pretty much an impossible task.
11:23Impossible.
11:24This is a pretty significant decision.
11:28You cannot replicate 130 years of history and time and wear and tear.
11:34You know, it's important to get that one right.
11:36The solution might be is to stain these new planks in a color that dialogues with the overall feel of this.
11:44Yeah, that's the goal.
11:45That would be great.
11:46Okay.
11:47That's the goal.
11:48We made some planks ready down there.
11:49We're going to have a little staining party to try and get close.
11:52I am ready for the staining party.
11:54Let's go.
11:55All right.
11:56All right.
11:57Authentic is really what our byword has been, our North Star, throughout this entire process.
12:01Tim, what color is this, hon?
12:02This one is cedar.
12:05It's too light and it's too red, yeah?
12:08It is too red.
12:09Yeah.
12:10And authentic doesn't mean it has to be 150 years old.
12:13It has to be authentic to the spirit and the story that we're trying to tell in a way that honors the barn.
12:21These are all great choices, Gary, that you brought over, but we're probably living somewhere between these two.
12:26Those two.
12:27To me, one of those two should at least move us in the right direction.
12:30I agree.
12:31I think the best thing we can do is let them both dry and then make a final decision.
12:36It's been my total pleasure.
12:38What a great job the three of you have done thus far.
12:40You make an excellent team.
12:42So we went over a lot of major questions today, and I want to come back when you have resolved them.
12:50Really kind of give those special moments, like, room to breathe.
12:53Does that sound good?
12:54Sounds great.
12:55Fantastic.
12:56Sounds great.
12:57Can't wait to see you again.
12:58Thank you, Vern.
12:59Thanks so much.
13:00Thank you, everybody.
13:02Thank you so much.
13:10Hey, Tim.
13:11I'm in here.
13:12I got some really, really cool stuff.
13:16Ready?
13:17Okay.
13:18Lay it on me.
13:19Recognize that?
13:20That's the...
13:21That's the barn.
13:22That's the barn door.
13:23That's the barn doors.
13:24Where did you get this?
13:25Okay.
13:26So I spent some time down at that little history museum.
13:28I said, we've purchased the barn.
13:29We're renovating it.
13:30I'm trying to learn some more about the history.
13:32Do you have anything?
13:34This is the only photo that she could find.
13:36It's amazing.
13:37Wow.
13:38Okay.
13:39I would love it if we could frame this and put it up in the house.
13:41I got more.
13:42Lay it on me.
13:44A map.
13:45Wicked cool.
13:46The map is from 1875, it looks like.
13:50Okay.
13:51So this is the creek that's out there.
13:53And look, so this was the house that's now across the street.
13:57And the barn.
13:58And the barn.
13:59So all one property.
14:00Okay.
14:01I got one more.
14:02I got one more.
14:03Doing's at High Falls, 1897.
14:05February 13.
14:07The large barn, hay house, and granary are destroyed by fire.
14:10This is the fire we heard about.
14:12Yep.
14:13The fire was so far advanced, little could be saved.
14:16The origin of the fire is unknown.
14:18And look at this.
14:19Two months and four days later, he had the framing up.
14:22And that is the existing framing now?
14:24That's the existing framing.
14:25But it's nice that, you know, we can fill in some of the pieces of the history.
14:28Outstanding.
14:29Really well done.
14:30Good.
14:39These are the sample boards that we worked on with Vern to match the existing reverse planks.
14:45So let's put them up there and just take a look.
14:48I like the red one a little bit better because it kind of picks up the red here and the beams here.
14:54That one's a little blacker.
14:56Great choice.
14:57Very rich.
14:58I think that's going to be perfect.
14:59So fireplace for this space becomes the focal point.
15:06Yep.
15:07This was planned to go all the way up around the fireplace and Vern's suggestion was why not be consistent and try the blue rock that we have downstairs on the fireplace.
15:20This is what it would look like if we just took some of the pieces, mounted them on the wall, and went all the way around.
15:29All this stuff needs to work with everything else.
15:31Needs to work with the reverse planking.
15:33It needs to work with the feel of what we're doing throughout the house.
15:36So we need to be really careful and really intentional about what we're picking here.
15:40I like the rock, especially against the new boards on both sides.
15:44Yeah.
15:45No.
15:46The rock, it's an easy choice.
15:47And we have plenty of it on property, so it's free.
15:56All right.
15:57So what are we looking at here?
15:59Primary bathroom.
16:00Let's talk about shower floor.
16:03We've got an idea of using the pebbles.
16:07This accents the bathroom floor.
16:10Perfect.
16:11Now we need to do shower wall.
16:13Got a lot of different choices.
16:15I like the mosaic stone to offset kind of the busyness of the pebbles.
16:22You go neutral, busy, neutral.
16:24Yeah.
16:25Let's take a look at what these two would look like in the shower.
16:27All right.
16:28All right.
16:29Let's do that.
16:30And then decide.
16:31All right.
16:32Cool.
16:33All right.
16:34So this is wall, yes?
16:35That's wall, and this is floor.
16:36So...
16:38I like it.
16:39Yeah.
16:40Okay.
16:41I think that's good.
16:42Bathroom done?
16:43Let's go.
16:53Wow.
16:54What is that?
16:55This is an apothecary table, a cabinet.
16:58What if we made this the kitchen island?
17:01Honey, it's way too big for a kitchen island.
17:04Put on our thinking cap here.
17:05What if we chopped off one third of it, rotated that one third 90 degrees, and wrapped it around
17:13the back, and made it three parts of a square, and we found some kind of like a post in that
17:20open corner, and then put a square top on it.
17:23I think this could be really unique.
17:25Yeah.
17:26I think it's great.
17:27I think we should get it.
17:28Keep thinking.
17:29That's what you're good at.
17:30All right.
17:31I'm going back upstairs.
17:32All right.
17:33Bye.
17:34The barn renovation's been going on for about six months now, and we've been making a
17:39ton of progress on the inside and the outside.
17:44The crew outside has been waterproofing the leaky foundation, and now we're refilling it to ground
17:50level.
17:51We're putting up the tile in the bathroom, and we've taken the pebble tile that was on
17:56the floor and run it right up the middle to the ceiling.
17:59These are good size.
18:01Babes, there's a lot of this.
18:03And to end our day, we're searching the backyard for Bluestone to put around the fireplace.
18:09Five, six, seven.
18:10All right.
18:11Seven down, 60 more to go.
18:23Okay.
18:24Wow.
18:25Whoa.
18:26Look at how much of the staining got done.
18:29Look at my kitchen.
18:32It's beautiful.
18:34I love the colors.
18:36I am so happy that we chose the greens.
18:39Look at the distressing that they did.
18:41Yep.
18:42Mark, this is where the apothecary island is going to go.
18:45Great.
18:46The table's coming today.
18:47It's got to get assembled.
18:49The sink is coming today.
18:51It is going to be wild.
18:52This is crazy.
18:53Uh, you weren't kidding about the mayhem.
19:03I told you.
19:04This is the sink and the apothecary table.
19:08Honey, how much does this sink weigh?
19:10This is 1,000 pounds.
19:11How are we going to get it inside?
19:13That's a problem.
19:14And he's not happy either.
19:16That person's mad at us.
19:18Well, anything's going to happen today.
19:20As long as none of us get run over today, that will be good.
19:23I'm thinking maybe we should get out of the way.
19:27Kitchen's starting to take shape.
19:30Deliveries are happening.
19:31Straight.
19:32Bump.
19:33Straight in.
19:34But moving our 1,000-pound, 200-year-old kitchen sink is going to be really treacherous.
19:42Everybody watch their hands.
19:44We've measured the sink five times.
19:47It looks like it's right.
19:49And we wanted to make sure that nothing had to be done more than once.
19:53And once we get it in place, we're not going to move it again.
19:56Okay, so.
19:57Wow.
19:58The sink came in by a millimeter.
20:01Honey, I love it.
20:02And?
20:03The apothecary table.
20:04The apothecary table is in.
20:05I think it's gorgeous.
20:06The kitchen is the heart of the home.
20:08The one decision we haven't made in the kitchen is what's going to go on the countertops.
20:13Tim and I have narrowed it down to three choices.
20:16We have a light color, we have a medium tone, and then we have a very dark tone.
20:21We're going back and forth, so we need to have Vern look at it next to the color of the cabinets,
20:26the sink.
20:27We need his guidance on this one.
20:28Hey, Vern.
20:29Hi, Vern.
20:30Hey, there.
20:31How are things going?
20:32Really good.
20:33We're happy to see you.
20:34We're having a tough time making decisions about countertops, and we need your input.
20:39Looking at them adjacent to the sink, I would say that the middle one is one that I would
20:45immediately eliminate.
20:46The other two I could make cases for.
20:48If you move the light one next to the sink.
20:51Okay.
20:52Yeah.
20:53So what's nice about that one is it's not just one gray.
20:56It's got all kinds of speckles and all kinds of shades.
20:59Lots of the grays that you see in that sink are popping up into that countertop.
21:03Taking the cabinet finish into consideration, I think that that lighter honed quartz is a
21:10really good choice.
21:11Yeah, I think so too.
21:12The next time I see you, you're going to be working on finishes.
21:15When you're at that point, I will come back in and then answer any other outstanding questions
21:19you have to kind of get this project finished.
21:22Thank you so much, Fern.
21:23Appreciate you.
21:24Good to see you.
21:25Okay.
21:26Bye-bye.
21:27So that's the decision.
21:28Decision made.
21:29Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep.
21:40Okie doke.
21:41The big bathroom.
21:42Wow.
21:43All the tiles done.
21:44Ready?
21:45Oh, honey, it came so good.
21:50Do you like the way it goes up the wall?
21:51Yes, I do.
21:52Here, look.
21:57There you go.
21:58Oh.
21:59Oh, that is gorgeous.
22:01It's like the same colors just done in a different way.
22:04It's beautiful.
22:05And they got the tub in here.
22:07Yeah.
22:08Got it, honey.
22:09It's so big.
22:10It was too big to get in the door.
22:12We had to reopen, retake the studs down because it just wouldn't fit.
22:23Came in a 60 inch or a 72 inch.
22:25And you ordered the 72 inch?
22:27Yeah.
22:28You chose poorly.
22:29I did.
22:30I'm going to have to make some phone calls on this one.
22:33Keep our fingers crossed, right?
22:34Yep.
22:35Because this is just too big.
22:36It's nothing we can do.
22:37All right, great.
22:38All right.
22:39Let's go.
22:40We're going to have to reopen the door.
22:42We are building the top of our custom dining room table.
22:45All of our floors are sanded.
22:48They were probably fine for the horses, but not for people.
22:51And now it's finally time to discover what color we want to stain them.
22:56That's so cool.
22:57It looks very, very natural.
22:59And this is great.
23:00Yep.
23:01I'm 100%.
23:02All right, clear coat it is.
23:03Done.
23:04Done.
23:05All right.
23:10It's been several months since I've seen Tim and Abby, so I'm really excited to see the progress they've made.
23:14Super cool stuff.
23:15You can get lost in this place.
23:16I know you really can.
23:17They want me to meet them at an antique shop in Hudson Valley.
23:20It's one of those areas that's famous for its antiques.
23:23If you want to find something that's old or vintage, it's definitely the place to go.
23:27This place is amazing.
23:28We wanted you to see it and we wanted to do some shopping with you.
23:31Okay, is there anything specific we're looking for today?
23:33We need dining chairs.
23:35Let's start looking.
23:36Go.
23:37Lead the way.
23:38All right.
23:39We've narrowed it down to this world right around here.
23:43We are building a dining room table.
23:45We took the horse stalls that were in the bottom of the basement, planed it, sanded it down, and we have created a dining room top with that.
23:55And for the legs, we went and found five old green milk jugs.
24:01Do you have any ideas about dining room chairs?
24:03Well, we had an idea.
24:05We thought, let's get 14 different.
24:08Each chair is completely unique.
24:09Mismatched.
24:10What do you think?
24:11I would probably suggest having all of those chairs kind of work together and be the same, so that the uniqueness of the table itself can really come through.
24:21Okay, yeah, that makes sense.
24:22I totally agree with that.
24:23Okay.
24:24Let's look at some chairs.
24:25Yeah.
24:26Now this design, I can get behind.
24:29I think, like, this has an elegance and a simplicity.
24:33It feels rustic, but it still feels really, like, thoughtful.
24:37I like it.
24:38I think it's the chair, actually.
24:40I think a dining room chair that kind of evokes the purity, the simplicity of that barn structure is always a better way to go.
24:49Nothing that's too fancy or that has too much detailing.
24:52I also think that the functional aspect is really important to pay attention to.
24:56Comfort has to be taken into consideration in addition to aesthetics.
24:59We have some other things to show you, some statement pieces, so let's go.
25:04Tim and Abby, they're really unusual because usually you have to talk people into going for something big and spectacular. They are not those people.
25:12This is going to blow you away.
25:14This is going to blow your mind.
25:15This is going to blow your mind.
25:16What are we looking at?
25:17The boat.
25:18The boat.
25:19The boat.
25:20It's going to be so interesting to see what they pick and to kind of figure out how do we let those moments have enough room to shine.
25:27It's going to go in one of the corners in the main room.
25:31I admire this decision so much.
25:35You guys are bold and I love that.
25:37I'm super anxious to see the progress of the barn.
25:40We're excited about that.
25:41Let's go back to the barn.
25:42Okay.
25:43All right.
25:44I'm looking forward to it.
25:45Give me a hand up here, sir, please.
25:52All right.
25:53Vern, come on in.
25:54Oh my goodness.
25:57Wow.
25:58That's a wow in all caps.
26:01Walking into the barn, I'm really, really excited.
26:05It's my first time being in that incredible volume without the scaffolding.
26:09It's my first time seeing that beautiful wood clad all the way through the interior
26:14and onto the ceiling.
26:16It does give the inside such a wonderful character that you couldn't achieve any other way.
26:21Spectacular.
26:23You guys have really outdone yourselves.
26:25Do you want to see the fireplace?
26:26I am dying to see the fireplace.
26:28All right.
26:29Come on in.
26:30Come on in.
26:31We listened to you.
26:32Oh my goodness.
26:33It is phenomenal.
26:34It looks so inviting.
26:35Best part of this, all that rock was found on property.
26:39Okay.
26:40Nothing to waste.
26:41Nope.
26:42I love that.
26:43As we possibly could.
26:46Look at this place.
26:47And I love the world's largest shower.
26:49It's like its own room.
26:51It's a room within a room.
26:52Our huge bathtub.
26:53We've topped it with our really big bathtub.
26:56Is there going to be a ladder to get into that thing?
26:59Do you think that tub is overwhelming for the bathroom?
27:03I don't.
27:04I mean, yes.
27:05It's a little bit oversized, but again, every decision you've made is oversized.
27:10And I think that's true to who you are.
27:12And I think that you have hit the nail on the head.
27:15So what's on deck for today?
27:17Well, so if you're willing to get your hands dirty, we've got some stuff downstairs ready.
27:23This is physical labor.
27:24Roll the sleeves up kind of help.
27:25Roll the sleeves up.
27:26Okay.
27:27I'm ready.
27:28All right, let's go.
27:29Leave the way.
27:30Show me where to go.
27:31All of us.
27:32Hey, Bob.
27:33Hey, I want to introduce you to Vern.
27:38Hey, Vern.
27:39Bob, how are you?
27:40I'm doing well.
27:41How about you?
27:42Good.
27:43Good to meet you.
27:44So is this the table that you've been talking about?
27:46This is the beauty.
27:48A table made from a stable and sitting on top of milk jugs.
27:52That's incredible.
27:53I love all the layers of history to this project.
27:55It's pretty cool.
27:56Those are the boards behind you that we started with.
27:58And we ran them through the planer, and they turned out to be chestnut.
28:03It's beautiful wood.
28:04Fantastic.
28:05Just lovely.
28:06All right, I am officially free labor, so how can I help?
28:10Both of us.
28:11And your helper.
28:12All right, this is what we're going to do.
28:13We're going to go over to the milk jugs, and we're going to take the tops off of all these milk jugs.
28:17Okay.
28:18Then we're going to come back, and we're going to place them.
28:20We're going to spread these out, these big blocks that we have here.
28:23And then we're going to bolt them from the center.
28:25I love it.
28:26So that's how we're going to get the table to be the right height.
28:28Because they'd be too short with just the jugs, right?
28:30Of course.
28:31Yeah.
28:32Okay, put me to work.
28:33Yep.
28:34Let's go.
28:35It's always so gratifying to begin to see the pieces of someone's dream come together.
28:40Tim and Abby are wonderful people who have a really defined, unique perspective and point of view.
28:45So the two things together make for a really unique and really special table.
28:50That feels nice.
28:51That feels like an appropriate height, doesn't it?
28:55Yeah.
28:56I think we are set.
28:58Get a good coat on it, and it is going to be beautiful.
29:09Come on, let's go see the kitchen.
29:11Oh.
29:12First off, that might be my favorite sink of all time.
29:16I like that.
29:17And there's going to be three separate wall-mounted faucets.
29:21Is that right?
29:22Absolutely.
29:23Those are going to be like kind of an oil rubbed bronze or black finish.
29:26Exactly.
29:27So I want to talk a little bit about hardware.
29:30Would you like me to get what we have?
29:32I do, I do.
29:33I want to see what you have.
29:34Okay, all right.
29:35I'll get it.
29:36These, this was our idea for cabinets, and then for the drawers, cutlery.
29:44Very cute and very detailed.
29:46I mean, I just want you to maybe take a look at some alternatives.
29:51Abby wanted to use miniature forks and spoons as her cabinetry hardware.
29:56I came prepared with some alternatives that I feel really are in the spirit of the barn.
30:01There's already a lot going on, and there could be some logic to the hardware talking to the finish of the faucets.
30:08So what do you guys think of this idea of picking something a little simpler but still rustic?
30:14Vern's right.
30:15The drawer pulls was too cutesy.
30:17When you really put the knob against the green distressed cabinet doors, they really fade right into it.
30:27I think your suggestions are spot on.
30:29I think these are too busy, unbusy, and this kind of calms it down a little bit.
30:35And I think we're going to go with that.
30:37All right, I think that's it.
30:38This kitchen is spectacular.
30:41Congratulations.
30:42Overall, I'm super excited by the amount of progress that I'm seeing.
30:46They have done such a nice job of making this barn into a home while still honoring its beauty.
30:52Come on.
30:53The two of you are complete superstars.
30:56You have to feel it in your bones.
30:59We're feeling good.
31:00I'm more nervous than Tim is that it's all going to get done on time, but he tells me it is, so I'm going to believe him.
31:06I'm definitely feeling good.
31:07I cannot wait to see it because it's already spectacular, and it's just going to get better.
31:12I can't thank you enough for everything that you've done.
31:14Thank you so much.
31:16Really, thank you.
31:17Great job.
31:18Okay, you're almost there.
31:19The final push.
31:20Yep.
31:21All right.
31:22Okay, see you next time.
31:23See you next time.
31:24Thanks, Vern.
31:27Decisions on things that are relatively small like, you know, kitchen drawer pulls really make such a difference, right?
31:42It's all in the detail.
31:45You should just always listen to Vern.
31:53The crew's outside, and they're putting the finishing touches
31:56on the patio and the staircase.
32:01One, two, three, up.
32:03And in the meantime, we're inside,
32:06hanging our fireplace mantle.
32:09I think it's good, babes.
32:10I think we're as flush as we're going to get.
32:11I think so, too.
32:12We have a beautiful mantle.
32:14Can you see the kids' stockings hung with care at Christmas?
32:18I'm surprised you didn't say grandchildren's stockings.
32:20Well, someday.
32:21And on top of all that, we have a ton of deliveries
32:24being made today.
32:25Thrasher's here.
32:26And we think this is, what, turn of the century?
32:29I think older.
32:30Wow.
32:31We found this at the antique store
32:33where we got the dining chairs.
32:35It was one of the first pieces we saw.
32:36It was outside.
32:37We fell in love with it, and we said, we have to have this.
32:40When this was a working barn, there
32:42would have been a hay thrasher out front.
32:44While odd at the moment, in front of a home,
32:47when it all comes together, it would just be appropriate.
32:50That's where it belongs.
32:51Off we go, slowly.
32:52Be careful, please.
32:54Nothing we do is traditional, and we want to make statements.
32:57We want people to come in and go, wow.
33:00OK, that's pretty cool.
33:03Beautiful.
33:03Oh, man.
33:05Where to?
33:07Bravo, you guys.
33:08You know what?
33:09You and I should figure out what a thrasher is.
33:10Thrasher's hay.
33:11Thrasher's hay, right.
33:13Very good.
33:13That was a good one.
33:14It basically bales it.
33:15The hay would get rolled through all of this.
33:18It moves it all forward and squares it up into a bale.
33:21Very cool.
33:22Now what?
33:22What's next for today?
33:24Ah, the hot tub has arrived.
33:25I'm visualizing what it's going to be like when we're here
33:28in the winter, and we just jump into the hot tub.
33:31We are just relaxing and saying, man, are we glad we built this.
33:34Man, are we glad we renovated this barn.
33:36Very simple.
33:37OK.
33:38Good.
33:39OK.
33:39All right, next step.
33:40Delivery number three.
33:41Let's go.
33:41A lot happening.
33:42All right.
33:43The other big project that we're going to have delivered today
33:47is a lot of lumber for our fence.
33:50This is all the material, the posts, and all the slats,
33:54and it's all cedar.
33:56It is honoring what was in front of this barn before.
33:59Very common for the Hudson Valley.
34:01Certainly common in front of a barn.
34:04Hopefully, it's a pretty simple process.
34:07So I'm sorry.
34:09This just doesn't seem like enough material.
34:11It is.
34:12Seriously, I'm serious.
34:13We measured it.
34:14It's all correct.
34:16OK.
34:16Do you want me to count?
34:18We should have 87 slats.
34:22Yeah.
34:23All right.
34:23OK.
34:24OK.
34:25This is making me feel better now.
34:27All right.
34:27This is pretty cool.
34:28Construction is complete.
34:32And we're pretty thrilled about that.
34:34And right now, we're bringing in the last little elements
34:36to make the barn look really spectacular.
34:39One of the things that we tried to keep in mind
34:41is we wanted to be careful throughout
34:44that when we chose furnishings, that they were functional
34:47and were 21st century, but that they were really authentic
34:50and honored and respected the barn and its history.
34:55The thing I'm looking forward to most
34:57is just having my family here with me.
34:59We are pretty excited to show it to Vern when he gets here
35:02and to see what he thinks.
35:05I'm finally back in High Falls, New York,
35:07and it is so beautiful here.
35:09I am so excited and so pleased with what I'm seeing.
35:12The original barn structure is still intact.
35:14They've maintained the lines of the barn
35:16that make it so unique and beautiful.
35:18There's a hay thrasher in the front yard,
35:20which is very, very cool.
35:22Adds so much character to the outside.
35:25And there's a beautiful fence now between them and the street.
35:28It's really come together.
35:37Hey!
35:37Hey!
35:38Hey, how are you?
35:40Oh, good to see you.
35:41Oh, it's good to see you, too.
35:42Welcome back.
35:42Good to see you.
35:43Oh my gosh, this looks so good.
35:46I love how hard you've worked to maintain the barn aesthetic.
35:50I mean, it still pays huge tribute to the original structure,
35:53but now it's your home.
35:54Yeah, it is.
35:55Are you done?
35:56We are 100% done on the inside.
35:58Done, done, done.
35:58I can't wait to see it.
35:59Yeah, come on in.
36:00Come on in.
36:01Okay, okay, okay, after you.
36:03Oh my gosh, this looks so good.
36:06Well?
36:07What do you think?
36:08I am completely speechless.
36:10I mean.
36:12That's what we wanted.
36:13I love it.
36:13That's exactly what we wanted.
36:15You have to be so proud, and of course, I love how the minute you walk in, there's
36:21that incredible view.
36:25I love the preservation of this exterior wood.
36:28Now on the inside, now it just goes all the way up.
36:31It just brings your eye all the way up to the top.
36:33It's really well done, because there was never a second floor.
36:37That's something that you implemented, but it looks like it's always been here.
36:41And at the same time, you've kept all of these original details, which adds so much to the
36:46character of the house.
36:47I mean, the floors.
36:48Your floors, baby.
36:49Well, I mean, I was hoping you were going to mention them.
36:51I just, I can't believe how great they came out.
36:53I mean, they were never intended to be the floors of a house, right?
36:57Nope.
36:58It's crazy to think, like, this is where there was hay and farm equipment and all kinds
37:01of really, like, just rough, functional stuff.
37:04But now they're smooth enough that you can walk in here barefoot.
37:07Absolutely.
37:08And the boats.
37:09Leaving in a boat.
37:10Oh, my gosh.
37:11How could you miss?
37:12You can't.
37:13You can't.
37:14I mean, that's the point.
37:15But it's so beautiful.
37:16It works in the space, right?
37:17It really works nicely in the space.
37:19It does.
37:20And it leads your eye right up into this incredible volume.
37:24I need to go over there and see that dining room.
37:26We knew you would.
37:27We knew you would.
37:28I think it's turned out beautifully.
37:30So you know, as we went through the whole project, it was important for us to use as much
37:34of the material from the original barn as possible.
37:37It's incredible.
37:38I love how solid it is and how substantial it feels.
37:41It just feels like this is the right kind of table.
37:44And the milk jug detail.
37:46I remember working on that.
37:47Yep.
37:48That turned out incredible.
37:49You can't buy a table like this.
37:51You have to have the imagination and the materials.
37:53And these chairs, I love their simplicity.
37:56I love that when you first walk in the front door, you see that elegant cross detail.
38:00They really let what should shine in this room, shine in this room.
38:03And that's the table, right?
38:04Yep.
38:05That's the focal point.
38:06And that's the way we wanted it to be.
38:07So these were a perfect choice.
38:08Let's go to the kitchen.
38:09This turned out great.
38:16This was a barn.
38:18Never meant to have a kitchen.
38:19So how do we insert modern appliances like a refrigerator and stove and all these kinds
38:24of things and make it look like it's always been here.
38:27And that's what it feels like.
38:28It feels like it's always been here.
38:30Remember the sink?
38:31It's kind of like the star of the kitchen.
38:33It's so unique and so cool.
38:36And then our last big centerpiece is our apothecary island.
38:40You know, I talked about having people around that table.
38:43This is where I'm going to prepare all the food for all the people around that table.
38:46And I can't wait.
38:47And we do love the flow right from the kitchen, over the table, right into the family room.
38:52All right.
38:56This turned out beautifully, right?
39:00It's so warm and cozy.
39:02This mantle is really nice.
39:05Is this like a new piece of wood or?
39:07No, that's from downstairs.
39:08That's from the stalls from downstairs.
39:10It's reclaimed as well.
39:11Again, smart reclamation of materials and repurposing them.
39:17And I love the contrast with the stone.
39:20The stone is really nice.
39:22It's also thanks to you.
39:23I think you guys hit it out of the park.
39:25I think you really, really did.
39:27You want to go see the primary suite?
39:28I do.
39:29I absolutely do.
39:30Let's go.
39:35This is our room.
39:36I love how warm it feels.
39:40Here it is.
39:41Primary bathroom.
39:43Bathroom.
39:44This is so luxurious.
39:46It's like our own spa.
39:48I absolutely love how inviting this is, how relaxed you feel the minute you walk into this space.
39:55I mean, that shower is epic, epic, epic, epic.
40:00Vanity's beautiful.
40:01All this wood is beautiful.
40:03But this, let's talk about this.
40:05I love that this is a piece of sculpture almost in the room.
40:08It's so beautifully made.
40:10The hammered copper.
40:11If you remember last time we were here, you asked me, do you think this is too big?
40:15And I said, no, I actually think it's the right size.
40:18And I, I stand behind that.
40:20All right.
40:21Well, let's go down to the lower level.
40:23Last stop.
40:24Oh my goodness.
40:25Keeps going.
40:26Yeah.
40:27Oh my gosh.
40:28I can never get enough of this blue stone.
40:31Yeah, it's gorgeous.
40:32It's so nice.
40:33And I love how hard you work to preserve it.
40:35I love the fact that it's dry.
40:37Yeah.
40:38Welcome to the fun zone.
40:39And it doesn't feel like a basement at all because you just have miles of windows and doors looking at this glorious view.
40:47Oh.
40:48Ooh.
40:49Beautiful.
40:50Yeah.
40:51Getting chilly.
40:52Welcome to the patio.
40:53Yeah.
40:54I mean, what an incredible space.
40:56One of the things I noticed immediately is that the raising of this terrace up to closer to the interior level makes a difference.
41:05Right decision to make without a doubt.
41:07So we have a lot of different functions here.
41:10We have a hot tub.
41:11We have a grill.
41:13We have chaise lounges.
41:14We have a dining table.
41:16Even though all that stuff is here, it feels like you could still have more if you wanted to.
41:21And then if you want to get into nature, the campfire zone down there, down by the stream.
41:26And you can go down and relax and do s'mores and tell ghost stories.
41:30This terrace has something for everybody.
41:33So great job.
41:34I think this was hugely successful.
41:36Shall we go inside?
41:37Yes.
41:38Let's.
41:43I'm so impressed.
41:44I am absolutely blown away.
41:47I'll tell you.
41:48I mean, this is a really difficult thing to pull off.
41:52Paying homage to the original structure, preserving those special elements, but at the same time, converting it into a home.
42:01And I feel like you've done that beautifully.
42:04I love the preservation of all the architectural elements, the way that you've really preserved all of those old materials and in many cases repurposed them.
42:13They add to the history of the project and the character of the project.
42:16And it's just beautiful.
42:18Congratulations.
42:20Thank you so much.
42:21And thank you for everything you did.
42:22We appreciate it.
42:23Well, thank you for letting me be a part of it.
42:25Our pleasure.
42:29I think that the one big takeaway for me from this project is renovating a project like this is no easy feat.
42:36And Tim and Abby have absolutely made it through the tough phases.
42:41And they're ready to share it with their closest friends and, of course, their family.
42:46I just hope that this is the spot for so many happy family memories.
42:51Peace.
42:52Peace.
42:53Peace.
42:54Peace.
42:56Peace.
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